COLONIAL HEIGHTS—The first of 11 aging bridges along I-95 in Richmond will be replaced this weekend as part of the I-95 Bridge Restorations project. From 8 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, I-95 will be reduced to one travel lane in each direction in order to replace the southbound sections of the Laburnum Avenue bridge at mile marker 79. Drivers should expect major delays along I-95 through downtown Richmond and on I-64 east at the Bryan Park interchange.

VDOT strongly encourages weekend travelers to use one of the following alternate routes to bypass the construction.

From I-95 south (Henrico): Access I-295 at exit 84 to reach I-64 east/west or areas south of Richmond; through travelers can use I-295 south to bypass Richmond and re-enter I-95 south at exit 46 in Prince George County.

From I-95 north (Prince George): Access I-295 at exit 46 to reach I-64 east/west or areas north of Richmond; through travelers can use I-295 north to bypass Richmond and re-enter I-95 north at exit 84 in Henrico County.

From I-64 east (Goochland/Henrico): There are three alternate routes:

Access Route 288 south at exit 175 in Goochland to reach Chesterfield County locations and to re-enter I-95 at exit 62

Access I-295 at exit 177 to reach I-95 north or I-64 east of Richmond

Access I-195 south at exit 186 in Richmond to reach downtown destinations, Route 76/Powhite Parkway Extension (toll) through Chesterfield County or the Downtown Expressway (toll). NOTE: The Richmond Metropolitan Authority will have the ramp from the Downtown Expressway east to I-95 north closed this weekend for maintenance.

From I-64 west (Henrico): Access I-295 at exit 200 to reach I-95 north/south or I-64 west of Richmond.

The following four traffic cameras are available to view traffic conditions during the Laburnum Avenue bridge replacement

During the southbound bridge replacement, I-95 south traffic will merge onto the northbound bridge. Both I-95 north and south traffic will use the northbound bridge to maneuver around the construction. A crane will remove the existing bridge deck and beams (superstructure) and set three pre-cast bridge sections in its place—one for each travel lane. Workers will then secure the new structure to the previously-restored bridge substructure. “By replacing each bridge superstructure with pre-cast sections, we can reduce the amount of time it takes to construct a new bridge, thus lessening the delays to motorists,” said Scott Fisher, project manager.

The I-95 north bridge at Laburnum Avenue is scheduled to be replaced the following weekend—from 8 p.m. October 28 through 6 a.m. October 31. I-95 traffic will, again, be reduced to one travel lane in each direction. Northbound drivers will merge onto the southbound bridge to maneuver around the construction. Should there be a delay in the Laburnum bridge replacement schedule, any remaining work will be completed the weekend of November 4.

Construction for the $106 million bridge safety improvement project began in September 2010 with restoration work to the piers and abutments for each bridge. After the Laburnum Avenue Bridge is replaced, the bridge over Westwood Avenue will be reconstructed in the same manner. The project is expected to be completed in fall 2014.

For more information about the I-95 Richmond Bridge Restorations project or to sign up for project updates, visit http://www.i95bridges.org. Anyone with questions about the project can call VDOT’s customer service center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623).

Real-time listings of road conditions and closures in Virginia are available on VDOT’s 24-hour traffic and travel information website, www.511Virginia.org or by calling 511. Richmond area traffic information is also available on Twitter @511centralVA.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.

Connect With Us

Need Help? 800-FOR-ROAD

This website includes hyperlinks to sites neither controlled nor sponsored by VDOT or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Links may open in a new window.
Some resources on this site require the Adobe Reader and Flash Player and the Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel viewers.
If you wish to receive this content in an accessible format per Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (d), please call 800-367-7623.